All Chapters of Married To A Lie: Chapter 11 - Chapter 15

On the day of the wedding, I sat in the dressing room, staring at my reflection in the mirror.“Nervous?” David asked as he pushed open the door. He looked especially handsome that day, the black tailcoat giving him the elegance of a prince.“A little.” I turned to him, adjusting his bow tie. “Do you think Matthew will come?”“He will,” David replied, a flicker of coldness in his eyes. “I made sure someone leaked the news about the wedding. In his current state, there’s no way he’ll miss this opportunity.”I nodded. That was exactly the result I wanted.“David,” I said, meeting his eyes in the mirror, “thank you for playing along with me in this charade.”“Charade?” David slipped his arms around me from behind, lowering his voice to a whisper in my ear. “Ava, I have never thought of this as an act.”I froze for a moment, catching the sincerity in his expression through the mirror.“I’ve always loved you,” he said softly, tenderly. “Five years ago, when you chose Matth

“Ava, you looked beautiful today.” My college roommate, Lina Follett, embraced me. “David is a good man—you two will be happy together.”“Thank you.” I returned her smile.That evening, the wedding celebration took place at a seaside villa—David’s gift to me, our new home. It faced the ocean, where spring breezes carried the scent of flowers.“Do you like it?” David wrapped an arm around my waist as we gazed toward the distant sea.“It’s beautiful,” I leaned against his shoulder, “more beautiful than I ever imagined.”The sea breeze brushed past us, carrying the fragrance of white roses blooming in the garden, pure and luminous beneath the moonlight.“Ava.” David suddenly turned, sinking to one knee.“David, what are you doing? We’re already married,” I laughed softly.“This is my formal proposal.” He drew out a small blue box. “I’ve waited five years for this moment.”When he opened it, a ten-carat pink diamond caught the moonlight and burned with brilliance.“Ava Vanguard